The mood in the Drifting Leaf's common room was a world away from the tense silence of the Helios tower. It was loud, warm, and smelled of spiced ale and the inn's earthy, living walls. After the data leak, the story of who had done it had, inevitably, seeped out. The inn's owner, a grizzled old Urdian with a deep-seated dislike for corporations, had let it slip to a few regulars. Now, the place was packed with locals and off-world dockworkers, all wanting to catch a glimpse of the "Omni-Stellar Slayers."

Lucian stood near the back, a deep frown etched on his face. This was a security nightmare. Every new face was a potential threat.

But Silas was in his element. Perched on a stool, a frothing mug in his hand, he held court for a captivated audience.

"…and then the big one, the Behemoth, you see, it comes crashing through the academy walls!" he declared, gesturing wildly. "Took out the whole east wing! So me and Reia, we're just cadets, right? But we grab a prototype plasma lance—way too big for us—and we're holding it together, my sister doing the math in her head, me just holding on for dear life! We fired it right down its throat! Boom! Saved the whole block!"

The crowd roared with laughter and cheers. His story was a heavily embellished, chaotic version of their past, but it was what the people wanted—a simple tale of heroes and monsters.

It was at this moment that Kaela Selyn stepped through the inn's organic archway. She moved with an unnatural quiet, the soft glow of her crystalline hair and iridescent skin causing the boisterous noise to momentarily hush. A large man near the door, part of the inn's informal security, stepped in her path.

"Can I help you, miss?" he asked, his tone wary. She didn't look like the usual clientele.

Kaela's violet eyes swept the room, taking in the scene before landing on Silas, the center of attention. A faint, genuine smile touched her lips.

"I'm here for them," she said, her voice clear and carrying. "I'm here to thank the heroes who stood up for the masses."

The statement, delivered with such simple sincerity, broke the tension. The crowd parted for her, nodding in approval. This was a sentiment they all shared.

She walked directly to Silas, who beamed at the arrival of another admirer, and especially one who looked so… shiny.

"That was quite a story," Kaela said, her tone warm. "My name is Kaela. I'd very much like to speak with you and your companions."

"Sure thing!" Silas said, sloshing his drink. "Pull up a seat! I was just getting to the part where we had to fight the swarm in zero-G! See, without gravity, the blood just forms these perfect, floating spheres…"

"Silas."

Marc's voice cut through the noise like a hammer. He emerged from a shadowed corner near the stairs, Evelyn and Lira just behind him. His eyes were locked on Kaela, his expression guarded. He had been watching her since she entered, every instinct screaming that she was different, and different usually meant trouble.

"I think you've told enough stories for one night," Marc said, his gaze never leaving Kaela. He stepped between her and Silas. "Who are you, really? You're not from around here."

The crowd sensed the shift in the air, their cheers fading into curious murmurs.

Kaela met Marc's stare without flinching. "My name is Kaela Selyn. I am the Chief Executive Officer of Helios Division."

A stunned silence fell over the common room. The name 'Helios' carried weight, almost as much as 'Omni-Stellar.'

Marc's stance shifted imperceptibly, his body now a shield for his friends. "Corporate. Should've known. Here to finish what Omni-Stellar started?"

"Quite the opposite," Kaela replied calmly. "I'm here because what you did took incredible courage and skill. Omni-Stellar is a blight. The Galactic Guild will talk and investigate until the public forgets, and then it will be business as usual. I believe we can ensure that doesn't happen."

"We?" Marc echoed, his voice dripping with skepticism.

"Helios and you," she said, as if it were the most logical thing in the world. "I'm not here to hire you. I'm here to propose a… relationship. You have the will and the capability. I have the resources and the reach. Together, we can put Omni-Stellar down for good."

"We don't need your help."

Lucian's voice came from the staircase. He descended slowly, his presence causing the last of the chatter to die. He stopped on the bottom step, looking down at Kaela. "We can handle ourselves. We don't need to get into bed with another corporation."

"This isn't about getting into bed," Kaela said, turning to face him fully. "It's about standing on the same side of the battlefield. You've fired the first shot. I'm offering you the army to win the war. You can be fugitives, running forever, or you can be the spearhead of real change. The choice seems obvious to me."

"The obvious choice is usually a trap," Lucian countered, his voice low and cold. "We just exposed one corporation for burning a world. Why would we trust another?"

"Because I am not them," Kaela said, and for the first time, a flicker of passion entered her melodic voice. "I was found in the wreckage of a dying ship, Lucian. I was not born in a boardroom. I know what it is to have everything taken from you. Helios is a tool. And I intend to use it to carve out a better galaxy. You can either help me hold the chisel, or you can watch as I try to do it alone."

The common room was utterly silent. Patrons glanced between the weary, hardened leader on the stairs and the ethereal, determined CEO in their midst. It was a standoff between two different kinds of power.

Silas looked back and forth, his mouth slightly open, finally understanding the gravity of the situation. Evelyn held Lira closer, her face a mask of concern. From the top of the stairs, unseen by the crowd, Reia and Vyn watched, one with analytical coldness, the other with ancient, weary eyes.

The offer was on the table. The battle lines were being redrawn, not in the streets, but in the soft, glowing light of a quiet inn.

"You have an appealing point, but how do you know my name?"

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